After every election, we are not sure if those whom we entrust with public positions will turn against us. The truth is anyone can lure their way into the public office. While there is nothing wrong with having any leadership position, we have no control on how they behave thereafter.
Dennis Mokaya thought his life would take a Damascus moment when, he together with his parents, met the then Deputy Governor Robert Monda of Kisii County to bribe (out of desperation) their way to the lucrative county job. He solicited $6000 from the hustling young man in exchange of the non-existent job. He then tried to influence the managing director of Gwasco, the would-have been employer of the witness, with $900 but she turned down his request and returned the money. The extortion from Mr Robert Monda was enough to earn him a guest invite from the county assembly on counts of violation of the oath of office. Members of the county assembly voted unanimously to serve judicial justice to the young man who had been bruised (and the senate confirmed their decision). Cornered, Mr. Robert Monda expended a lot of energy trying to twist concrete evidence but the senate relegated him to where he deserved—out of office—after being found guilty of diverting county enforcement officers to work in his farm, violating the constitution, and harassing a young hustler and his brother.
In just a single deal, no one felt the painful repercussions of a cunning politician than Dennis Mokaya:
He sold his only family business, with the hope of landing on greener pastures.
His wife was distressed when he failed to secure the promised job and unfortunately underwent miscarriage after waiting for 12 years.
The irony of the case: His relationship with parents turned frosty. The father of the victim was a defendant of the accused, shielding the deputy governor and arguing that their friendship spans over 32 years and, therefore, they often borrow money from each other to conceal the deputy governor's dirty deals.
To which his son tearfully responded "If my father choses friendship over the truth, then so be it. I don't have anything against my parents but the fact is, this was our lifetime savings built over 13 years..."
The Mondas of this world mirror the ongoing struggle between truth and deception, justice and exploitation in a political field. Their deceptive ways laid bare between those who seek to serve the underserved and those who seek to exploit them for personal gain.
Much like the forbidden fruit, the "benefits" offered often come at a steep cost. Public services, safety nets, educational opportunities..etc – the very foundations a healthy community needs – are subtly undermined by the Mondas. Budgeted corruption is prioritized, vital programs are defunded, and the resources that should nourish the most vulnerable are siphoned off for the benefit of a select few.
The persons we elevate to the highest offices will not turn out the way we want. They would become bandits, acting on behalf of the established while compounding and gaining their influence from the masses (but usually for their own benefit). We have witnessed their serpent ways often; from executing murders to opening proxy firms for their masters to milk public coffers, they do whatever it takes even if risking their lives to force their way.
The idea of servant leadership-putting the interests of the people ahead of your own-has diminished in the political space-the very field constitutionalized to serve. The once vibrant compassionate, people-driven leadership pursuing noble goals remains a mirage nowadays. We only have the memories of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Florence Nightingale passionately serving the less fortunate without positional powers. These individuals were powerful by the virtue of the love (and not positions) that they had for the people. We also remember the story of Jesus as obvious and simple as it was but His seemingly small acts of feeding the hungry and healing the sick have remained immortal and worth repeating.
Leading others require that you are known by who you are and not what position you hold. You are not excited by the privileges that come with the office but you only consider them as tools of work. You are not a leader of perks and benefits as such; rather, you are motivated by a higher purpose, fulfilling yourself with it until it overpours to others.
The return phase of the leadership journey is the perfect phase to start serving. It is a phase wherein you have understood who you are and what kind of a leader you aspire to be. You begin with people in mind and contage what you have learned to them. You lead with grace and humility, with your presence and deeds being felt at the lowest grassroot level. You have crafted a shared pursuit that excites you to wake up and live for every day.
The Monda extortion teaches that you don’t lord people, you listen to them. You don't role-play to advance yourself, you risk for the benefit of others. You don't seek your own way, you serve others. The happy ones are those who have found how to serve; and they don't wait for the highest office; they serve at the lowest level.
Going forward, any person aspiring to lead, should know a public office is a privilege (and not an end in itself). It is a mountaintop-at the bottom of the valley-with sufficient tools meant to elevate you and serve others (and not ride pleasure in it). Anyone can occupy it but it takes only the few to live upto the primary motives of the office.
Thank you, Edwin, most leaders misuse their power for personal gain, rather than serving the people. A reminder to us all when/if we get to a position of influence.
I really like the idea that a leader is supposed to simply represent the people. It's like a driver of a car - someone has to drive but that person doesn't need to be the smartest, handsomest, or most charismatic - they just need to know how to drive. It's the same with leadership, although serpent leaders give the rest of us a very bad name.